Dreams of Ashes
by cherii tomato
Summary: When strange dreams of a stranger land began plaguing her sleep, Mikan soon finds herself treading precariously on the thin line that separates the dreams from reality. Things only further get complicated when a certain raven-haired bad boy enters the picture to become the King of the realm. Reality will truly be redefined.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Gakuen Alice and all its recognizable characters belong to Tachibana Higuchi.**

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**Dreams of Ashes**

_by_

**cherii tomato**

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**Stranger**

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It took Mikan ten seconds to realise that she had woken up in a room that was a complete stranger to her. There were no posters on the wall to greet her; there were no glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling staring right back at her. She blinked at the large map above her, a map of lands that were unknown to her, one where lands were separated by planes of white. But this map wasn't one she recognised, there wasn't a land that showed Asia, America or Australia. The lands were positioned differently and their sizes were different.

She sat up from bed immediately then scanned her surroundings. _Where am I?_ She thought to herself. There was something about the room that bugged her, everything was so _historical_. From the wooden furniture carved with intricate patterns to the blue and silver damask that covered the walls.

A chilly breeze swept passed her and Mikan's head instantly snapped towards the opened windows. As she pulled the heavy covers over her body, she contemplated moving over to shut the windows but her legs refused to move no matter how hard she tried and a wave of panic washed up within her.

At that moment, a plump woman in her early forties strode into the room, humming a tune. But when her eyes landed on the girl sitting upright in bed, she dropped the silver tray in her hands and her legs buckled underneath her. Tears were welling up in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Mikan asked but the woman just kept crying. Soon later, a man with a head of sandy blonde hair rushed in. He took in a large gasp as his eyes fell on Mikan as he stood there, rooted at the doorway. Mikan took note of his luxurious maroon outfit as well as the air of authority that surrounded him. She figured he must be someone of great importance. But what interested her the most was the snow white falcon that was perched on his shoulder. Its black beady eyes were trained onto Mikan and she felt a chill ran down her spine. There was something _human_ about that bird.

The man stepped forward cautiously, both his and the bird's eyes never left her face. Mikan felt herself shrinking further away on the bed until her back came in contact with the cold bedframe. Sensing her discomfort, the man stopped in his tracks and broke into a brilliant smile. Mikan was mesmerised and instantly, her muscles eased and she smiled back.

"My lady, are you well?" It was as if her wellbeing was of the utmost concern to the man as Mikan noted the genuine concern in his tone.

Mikan nodded her head. "Yes, I am well." The man's shoulders immediately relaxed upon hearing those words and he breathed out a sigh of relief. He walked towards the bed then took Mikan's hands in his before kissing the back of them. For the first time ever, she realised that there was a mark on the back on her hand. Only when the man removed his lips from it did she look at it more closely. It was an eight-petalled flower. She furrowed her eyebrows.

"What is this?" She mumbled to herself but the question was answered her.

"That's the mark of the Summoners, my lady." He ran a thumb over the mark but his eyes never left her. Mikan noted the growing concern in them. "Do you know who you are?"

"Mikan," she replied.

The man smiled once more. "That's right. You're Mikan Yukihira, the daughter of Lord Summoner Izumi Yukihira and Her Majesty The Queen Yuka." Mikan recognised the names as her parents' but the words 'Lord Summoner' and to have her mother be called Her Majesty The Queen puzzled her.

"Summoner? Queen?"

The man noticed the expression on Mikan's face and his smile immediately stiffened. He turned his head towards the woman who was still kneeling on the ground. "Send for a healer."

Without a word, the woman got up while rubbing tears away from her eyes, bowed then hurried out from the room. When the man turned back to Mikan, his smile was completely gone.

"My lady, answer me truthfully, do you know who you are?"

"Of course, I'm Mikan Yukihira, I'm seventeen, I live in Tokyo with my parents, Izumi and Yuka Yukihira and I'm a senior in the Alice High. My father's a businessman while my mom's a housewife, not a Lord Summoner or a Queen." Then Mikan realised she didn't know who was the person before her. "Who are _you_?"

This time, it was the man to look puzzled. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Master of Heralds, Lord Herald Koko Yome of Woods. And it seems to me that my lady is suffering from a serious case of confusion," he narrowed his eyes at her, "I don't know what is this 'businessman' you spoke of but I can assure you that Lord Summoner was not a 'businessman', he was the Master of Summoners and Her Majesty The Queen was not a petty housewife. She was the King's queen; she was the Queen of the kingdom of Alicia."

Mikan felt her blood turn cold upon hearing his words. "Was?"

"I'm sorry?"

"You said was when you were talking about my parents as if—" Mikan couldn't bring herself to continue her sentence. Her parents were not dead. They weren't.

Lord Herald Koko looked away. "I am deeply sorry, my lady. Your parents parents passed away while you were still asleep." He closed his eyes painfully as the memories came rushing back. "Three years ago, King Shiki went mad after finding out the affair between Lord Summoner Izumi and Queen Yuka. He ordered them to be killed and so they were. Summoners as well as the Council of the Eight were outraged after the murder of the Lord Summoner, many rebelled against the King. War was waged, many died."

Mikan felt like her blood had frozen under her skin, her heart had stopped beating. "H-how many?"

Lord Herald shook his head solemnly. "Hundreds, thousands perhaps. Many from the Council of the Eight were killed. The previous Masters of Heralds, of Knights and of Servants all died in the war. The entire line of Summoners was wiped out. You are the only Summoner left. You are the Mistress of Summoners now, Mikan."

Mikan was simply bewildered by all the things she heard, all the information she was thrown with. Council of the Eight? Masters? Summoners? She felt her world spinning and was sent another wave of panic. "What is this? I don't understand anything! What is this?" Her head pounded painfully.

Lord Herald immediately pressed both his hands to Mikan's shoulders and tried to calm her down. His honey coloured eyes were staring into Mikan's. "Everything's all right, my lady. Everything will fine. It's all right. You've been asleep for so many years, I should've thought of that before I sprang all this on you. My apologies."

Mikan closed her eyes and remembered the mantra she was taught years ago by her mother. _Breathe in, one, breathe out, two, breathe in, three, breathe out, four, breathe in, five, breathe out, six.._. Soon later her shoulders relaxed and when she snapped her eyes open, Lord Herald Koko was still staring at her worriedly.

Mikan cleared her throat and looked out the window. The breeze kept coming and Mikan would shiver a little whenever the wind licked her cheeks. She had so many questions, about her parents, this strange place she was in, the Council of the Eight, the Masters she spoke of… _But why is everything so _naturally_ different? _It's as if I'm in—

Her head snapped back to Lord Herald and Mikan's face broke into a wide grin. "This is a dream isn't it? I'm in a dream! Of course!"

As she laughed, the Lord Herald only looked more worriedly at her. "This is not a dream, my lady. I understand that you may be slightly bewildered after being asleep for so long, but you're awake now, you're no longer asleep. This is reality." Mikan couldn't help but be annoyed at his clear enunciation of each word, she knew when she was being patronised and right this moment, the Lord Herald was talking to her as if she was a child. And she definitely didn't like being patronised in her dreams.

So she did the one thing that she thought could prove that she was in a dream—or not—Mikan pinched herself. But no matter how much pressure she applied, nothing happened till eventually she could no longer stand the pain; she removed her fingers and looked back at Lord Herald.

"I'm not in a dream?" Her voice quivered as reality began to dawn onto her. "I'm not in a dream?"

At this moment, the woman from before appeared once more with a man behind her. She bowed then announced, "The healer's here."

Lord Herald nodded his head then moved away from Mikan's bed. "Good, do take a look at her and see if she's all right. Though," he gestured the healer to move closer to him and when the latter did, Lord Herald Koko whispered into the healer's ears, "she seems to be deeply confused of her surroundings. See if you can find a way to cure this quickly."

"Of course milord," the healer bowed once more then hurried over beside Mikan. "Pardon me, milady, if you'll allow me."

And so Mikan was examined by the healer. Her head was turned, throat tapped, temples were rubbed. She was still too busy digesting the new information and barely realised it when she was being pushed back to bed and the covers were pulled over her body.

The healer went back to stand by the Lord Herald, giving him his report. "The Lady Summoner is in perfect health; perhaps she'll need some time to adjust herself. You can only imagine how confused she must be, to have her parents—" The healer trailed away in his speech. "But I've given her some scents, she needs some rest."

The Lord Herald flared up upon hearing his words. "Rest? You want her to rest? It's been five years now, she's been asleep for five years and now you want her to rest? Isn't five years enough? Do you not realise the urgency of the current situation? Ever since the passing of King Shiki and the Lord Summoner Izumi, the throne has been empty for about two years now. We need to bring the Lady Summoner back to Kensington _now_."

The healer shrank back. "I understand, milord," he tried to calm the Lord Herald down. Though known to be the one with the brightest personality out of all Masters, Lord Herald Koko was also not one to be messed with whenever he was furious. It was also best not to anger someone who knew of every single dirty little secret there was to know. "But Lady Summoner Mikan has to rest now; she can't take in everything at once. She _needs_ to adjust. Five days, milord. Five days and you may bring her back to Kensington."

The Lord Herald continued to eye the man with contempt before eventually looking away. "I'll give you until tomorrow."

Mikan watched everything under heavy eyelids and when the Lord Herald Koko turned to leave the room, her eyes closed and she felt herself falling into deep slumber, her mind at peace.

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The blaring alarm cut through the silence in the morning while Mikan was still curled into a ball beneath her covers. With a groan, she reached out a hand to turn the alarm off then sat up from bed with a yawn. After clearing her mind of sleep, she found herself a little bit distraught. The last time she remembered, she was in a room, hearing words like 'Summoners', 'The Council of Eight', 'Lord Herald' and other phrases that made no sense to her.

"It was all—a dream?" Mikan murmured to herself. Although she knew that dream are meant to be real when you're in them, but Mikan felt a cold chill when she thought of the realism of her dream. It was far-fetched, but even after waking up from it, Mikan thought her dream felt more like a memory than just her imagination.

Everything was just so _believable._

But Mikan's parents were said to be dead in her dreams. As the bits and pieces of her dream began coming back to her, her eyes widened and she bolted out from bed then ran down the stairs. Her heart was beating frantically against her chest.

"Mom?" she shouted for her mother while running to the kitchen.

She almost cried when she saw her mother walking out from the kitchen, complete with an apron around her waist and gloves with grains of rice stuck to them. Yuka looked at her daughter with worry in her eyes. "What what? What is it Mi—"

Her words were instantly cut short when Mikan rammed into her and she felt her daughter's arms wrapped around her waist. Yuka was of course taken aback.

"Mikan darling, is something wrong?"

"Where's dad?" Mikan's voice was muffled by her mother's shirt.

Yuka was more puzzled than ever but nonetheless, she answered her daughter's question. "He's in Nagoya on a business trip, of course. Are you fully awake, Mikan? What is it,sweetheart? Did you have a bad dream last night?"

Mikan lied, shaking her head then pulled away from her mother. Of course, Yuka didn't buy it one bit. The woman pursed her lips at her daughter. "Liar."

But the young girl just smiled. "I'm going up to wash up." With that, Mikan went back upstairs, leaving Yuka to deal with her own bucketful of questions from her strange behaviour.

"Ahh… This girl…"

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As usual, after taking her breakfast, Mikan bade her mother goodbye and left home for school. However, as she walked, thoughts of her dream kept interrupting her thoughts. Rarely did she mull over dreams, good or bad, but Mikan couldn't shake off the feeling that her dream was somehow real. Even the pain from when she pinched herself felt strangely real but when Mikan inspected her arm, it looked perfectly pale, not a single blemish in sight.

Soon later when she arrived at school, Mikan pushed her thoughts away. There were much more important things that needed her attention. The school carnival, prom, her mother's birthday… She didn't have time to be occupied by thoughts of a mere dream.

When Mikan arrived at the school, Natsume was already patiently waiting for her by the gates. Once her eyes fell on her raven-haired lad leaning against the wall, her face immediately broke into her large grin. She ran over to him then enveloped him in her arms.

"Good morning, Nat-su-me." Mikan's voice rang through the morning skies. Natsume dismissed her greeting with a casual 'hn'. But actions speak louder than words for he took her bag before holding tightly onto her hand. Just like any other morning, they walked into the school compound, hand-in-hand.

"Did you sleep well last night?" Natsume asked. He knew something was wrong when Mikan began biting her lip and looking away. "Did you cheat on me in your dreams?"

Mikan's jaw dropped at his accusation. "No! Natsume, don't be ridiculous! It's just…" Her voice trailed away. She didn't want to tell him what was on her mind, that a small, small part of her believed that her dream last night was not just any dream. It was much more. But knowing Natsume, he would probably just call her an idiot. As always.

"It was okay. I was just trying to remember my dream."

"Mikan," Natsume raised his eyebrows, "you are a horrible liar."

Mikan paused in her steps. She didn't want to lie, but she couldn't bring herself to tell him. Natsume noticed her dilemma and as curious as he was, he didn't want to push it. So he just placed an arm around her shoulders. "I won't be walking you to class, Polka. I'm heading over to the music room to practice, all right?"

Though disappointed, Mikan smiled. "Okay." She reached out to retrieve her bag from Natsume. "Recess?"

Natsume just winked before turning around. "We'll see."

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At recess, Mikan was disappointed to find that Natsume was nowhere in the canteen, nor was he under the cherry blossom tree they usually spend their time. However, when she neared the music room, figuring he would still be practicing for the weekend's school performance, her ears were instantly greeted with the gentle melody of Liebestraume No. 3.

"_Liebestraume was composed by Franz Liszt and it was actually three pieces, though most people only knew of one only. The first one was about religious love, the second was about erotic love but the third one was about the purest form of love."_

When she closed her eyes, Mikan could picture Natsume sitting by the grand piano, his eyes half-opened as the sun reflect off his eyelashes, the steady rise and fall of his chest and his body swaying slightly as he played. A smile reached her lips. There was a reason why Natsume had chosen this song, not because it was well known, not because of its beauty, not because this piece required a ridiculously high degree of technical ability.

This was their song. She was the reason why this song was chosen among all the others. According to Natsume, this song represented them. It reminded him of her. It reminded him of them.

"_Unconditional."_

Mikan wrapped her fingers around the door handle. The music was gradually reaching a crescendo, to its climax. Mikan pushed the handle down then inched the door open.

"_Untainted."_

Just as she had predicted, Natsume was sitting there, the exact replica of the image in her head. He was too engrossed in the music to realise her arrival but she didn't mind. Quietly, she took a seat and closed her eyes.

"_Perfect."_

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Mikan once again opened her eyes to a familiar-looking map. Familiar, but not the typical map she was used to. She sat up in the cloudlike bed in bewilderment. She had already established that her previous strange experience was nothing but another dream, but to be in here once again after such a short period time meant that it wasn't that simple.

"This is not a dream." She said to herself. Her mind was filled with other possibilities to explain her current situation. Time-travel? Soul-switching? Divine intervention? Alien abduction? Scientific experiment? Every single possibility, fantasy or science fiction, fact or theory, passed her thoughts.

Mikan closed her eyes then calmed herself down. Once her mind was at peace and there was no conspiracy theory to distract her, Mikan tried to think.

_Where was I? The school's music room. Natsume was practicing for his performance. The sun was shining, he looked like perfection. I sat down then closed my eyes. So, what does that mean? Am I asleep? But I don't _feel_ asleep. Am I unconscious? The ability for me to think that suggests otherwise. Okay, so I'm awake, I'm not asleep. _

_But then, what happened?_

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't fill in the blanks between her being in the music room and her being on the bed in a world she wasn't familiar with.

She bit her lip and thought harder, but nothing other than the words 'fell asleep' came to her mind. With a sigh, she opened her eyes and nearly jumped when she saw Lord Herald Koko standing before her, staring at her curiously. The creepy falcon was doing the same thing.

"Did you sleep well, Lady Summoner?"

Mikan couldn't find her voice so she nodded instead. The Lord Koko smiled. "Good, have your memories returned?"

She figured that he didn't mean memories of her past 17 years as Mikan Yukihira of Tokyo but rather the one that lived in the world where Summoners and Lord Heralds existed. Mikan shook her head and noticed how his face fell.

"Never mind then, now that you're awake, we have to return to Kensington immediately." Still standing before her, the Lord Herald bellowed, "Madam!"

Seconds later, the plump woman from before came rushing in; her cheeks were rosier than what Mikan had remembered. "Yes, Lord Herald?"

"Get the Lady Summoner dressed for travel. We will depart for Kensington as soon as everything's done. Have you prepared enough provisions?"

The madam bowed. "Yes, milord. Is a week's worth for three enough?"

Lord Herald nodded. "Yes. Kensington is only five days away, given if everything goes as expected."

"Wait," said Mikan. Both the madam and Lord Herald turned to her. "Where exactly is Kensington?"

The two looked at each other then looked back at Mikan, unsure how to proceed. Everyone in Alicia knew where Kensington was. Even if they might have never been to that place, every citizen of Alicia, young or old have at least heard of the city of Kensington, the royal city where the King, the royal family and the royal officials reside. Kensington was the heart of Alicia, it was the city that defined the Kingdom, so to have someone not know of the place was truly unheard of.

Until now.

"Kensington," Lord Herald began slowly, "is—a place you belong at, Lady Summoner."

"So—where is it?"

The room went quiet for a moment but alas, Lord Herald ignored her question and turn back to the madam. "Make sure that everything is prepared accordingly. I'll ready the carriage." Then he turned on his heels and left.

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Mikan felt ridiculous wearing her gown. Rather than just putting on one piece of cloth over her body, there were _pieces_ to her gown. First there were the undergarments, then the gown itself was separated into another few parts, each part heavier than the one before. As madam helped dress her up, Mikan couldn't help but to ask about the clothes and their parts and her questions were enough for madam to give her shifty eyes. After the third question, she could tell that madam was thoroughly annoyed so Mikan kept her questions to herself.

By the time she was fully dressed, Mikan felt hot and heavy and uncomfortable. But when she took a look at herself in the mirror, her breath was taken away by the sheer beauty of the gown. It was in a stunning shade of blue, a series of intricate floral pattern was sewn on the front of her bodice and Mikan adored the cut of the dress where everything above her chest was naked. She never really did admire the how slender her pale neck was until now.

Lord Herald was already standing by the carriage and when he first laid eyes on Mikan, she noticed how his eyes lingered longer than they should be. His clothes were still as luxurious as ever, mainly a silver doublet with golden embroidery. He pulled the hood of his cape over his head. Lord Herald Koko nodded towards a young boy who hastily came over to open the carriage door.

The Lord Herald held out a hand towards Mikan. "Lady Summoner." With her head held high, she accepted it and stepped into the carriage then Lord Herald followed behind her to take his seat across her. When everything was ready, the horses whinnied then began to move, pulling the carriage behind it.

Mikan craned her head out the window to take a good look at the castle which was said to be the place she had been sleeping in for the last five years. It was an imposing sight, tall and magnificent, the aged grey walls suggested that the castle has seen more than any man in a lifetime.

"It belonged to your father, one of his private estates which very few people know about." The Lord Herald Koko explained. "It was the safest place to keep you in. Not even the King knew about this, even though they were extremely close friends. You spent your entire life here, do you remember?"

Mikan shook her head. There was nothing for her to remember besides her life in Tokyo. This wasn't her life, but if this was a dream, she might as well play along with it. "The King? The one who killed my father?"

Lord Herald Koko cleared his throat then looked away. "Yes. They were friends. In fact, Lord Summoner Izumi and the late King Shiki grew up together. They were close."

"Then what happened?"

He looked at his fingers. "Your mother, the Queen, she was the daughter of a powerful duke in the Waterlands. The marriage between her and the King was merely for diplomatic reasons, they barely knew each other. The first few years, when the King was just a Crown Prince, they saw very little of each other. Back then, it was your father who kept her company, it is said that they met when the Queen had taken the identity of a commoner to roam the streets on her own. Your father saw her out and it was said that it was then the relationship started.

"But then, King Tenji, father of King Shiki died and the Crown Prince ascended the throne as a King, naturally the Crown Princess became the Queen of the realm. The royal couple spent more time together and soon later, the King fell for his Queen. Which isn't surprsing, perhaps you might remember, your mother was very lovable, both as a person and as a Queen."

Mikan smiled at that comment. The real Yuka Azumi who she knew was the same; no one who has met her would not love her.

The Lord Herald continued. "But your mother's heart belonged to the Lord Summoner and his hers. However, he was married himself, tragic really. Perhaps one of the most tragic love stories since Celedra and Aphaelios."

"Who's Celedra?"

The Lord Herald just smiled to himself. "That's a story for another day, Lady Summoner."

A moment of silence passed between them before Mikan cleared her throat. "So what? I'm illegitimate?" Her voice was trembling as she spoke.

Lord Herald Koko shifted in his seat, uncomfortable. He pressed his lips together before nodding. Mikan laughed mirthlessly. The absurdity of the situation was truly unbelievable. Her parents were dead, she was illegitimate; if this wasn't a dream, then what could it possibly be?

Lord Herald was eyeing her carefully. "Lady Summoner, are you truly unable to remember anything at all?"

_They're probably not the memories you are expecting_, she was tempted to say but instead, she just shook her head. The Lord Herald sighed but then smiled brightly. "Well, I've always enjoyed being a teacher. And we have five days to spare."

"Now," he rubbed his palms together then placed them on the either side of his lap, "where to begin?"

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**IMPORTANT NOTICE: I would like to make it clear that Dreams of Ashes is rightfully mine. The reason why some of you might find this story familiar is because I had once written and published a similar story called 'Supremacy' then renamed 'King' (ifi'mnotmistaken), but I decided to delete the story because I just wasn't satisfied with how IT was going. Dreams of Ashes was based on the idea for 'King' but I assure you that I DID NOT PLAGIARISE. In fact I condemn that very action.**

**So once again, DREAMS OF ASHES WAS BASED ON A PREVIOUS STORY I HAD PUBLISHED BUT THEN DELETED. HOPE THIS CLEARS THINGS UP.**

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**Feedback is much appreciated. (:**


	2. Chapter 2

**Amethyst**

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Mikan went home to find her mother sitting in front of the television, laughing. She greeted her curtly before dashing up the stairs then slammed the door behind her when she was safe in her own room. Mikan tossed her bag to one side and sank into her bed. Though she managed to sneak an hour of sleep during in school, Mikan felt more exhausted than ever. All she wanted to do now was to sleep but the thought that every sleep would bring her back to that strange land both scared and excited her.

After a while of lying down and thinking, Mikan got up from bed then moved to her study table. She sat on the chair then picked out a pen and paper from the drawer. She stared at the blank paper, pen ready in her hand before scribbling one word onto it.

_Summoner._

Mikan Yukihira of Alicia wasn't a normal teenager who attended high school; she was a Lady Summoner of a noble but shameful birth. Her father was the Master of Summoners, a member of the Council of Eight; her mother was the late queen who fell from grace when her affair with the Lord Summoner was exposed, it was also this that cost them their life.

Mikan closed her eyes, trying to remember the Lord Herald's words. He told her about the existence of Summoners, how they were the direct descendants of Mother Alice, the goddess believed to be the one who created humans from the elements, which explained why Alicians have the ability to control certain elements.

"Like me." Lord Herald Koko reached an arm out the window and plucked a leaf. Placing it on his palm, Mikan watched as the leaf levitated a few inches above his palm. "I'm a man of the Woods, thus I'm able to draw power from the trees and grass. I am one with the flowers and the trees."

But there were two groups of Alicians who were different. While everyone in Alicia was said to be a child of Mother Alice, there were only two groups of people who were her direct descendants: the Summoners and the Berserkers.

He continued to explain. "Summoners, like you, are the direct descendants of Mother Alice. While the spirit of the Woods flows within me and a Fireborn has fire within their souls, the energy from Mother Alice flows within her two children and their children. In fact, in early days, Summoners and Berserkers are believed to be gods."

With his words ringing clearly in her mind, Mikan wrote down another word:_ Dragonheart_.

The Lord Herald further explained. "Brison was Mother's Alice first son and he was the first Summoner to roam the land. Summoners might not have the gift of the elements, but they do possess something greater; you have the ability to weaken or nullify the elements, so our powers are useless against you."

"I-I can do that?" Mikan had asked and the Lord Herald answered with an inclination of his head.

"You might not know how now for it takes practice to master that skill, but it's in you," he said, "it is a Summoner's greatest power.

Mikan thought it over. "Why is a Summoner called a 'Summoner'?" she queried. If nullifying was a Summoner's power, why call it a 'Summoner'? Why not something like 'nullifier' instead?

"Ahh…" There was a twinkle in his eyes, "it's simple really. As the First Summoner was the son of a goddess, he did possess something other than his nullifying powers; First Summoner Brison is said to be born with a Dragonheart. The word 'Brison' roughly translates to 'dragon' in ancient runes."

"So what? He could summon dragons? Is that it?"

Lord Herald beamed brightly. "Exactly. Or at least, that's what the legend says. It is said that with the Dragonheart, First Summoner Brison was able to call upon a dragon to aid him, and so that's where the word 'Summoner' came along. Legend also said that the earlier Summoners were able to summon dragons. But like I said, all is just a legend. There were no actual records saying that said this ability ever existed, a Summoner was never recorded to have summonsed a dragon. No one knows for sure why you are known as a Summoner, but one theory that's closer to reality is that Summoners—or the Masters of Summoners, to be more specific—are responsible for electing the King of Alicia. Which is the reason why we're travelling back to Kensington right now," his tone grew serious and Mikan could feel herself sitting up straighter in her seat. "The throne has been empty ever since the death of King Shiki. A kingdom cannot survive without its King, my lady."

Mikan leaned forward at her desk and groaned_. _Kings, Summoners, Dragonhearts, all of this was giving her a migraine as she felt her brain throbbing painfully.

The computer was turned on; Mikan could hear the gentle hum coming from it. She mulled it over for a moment then reached out to type into the search bar. She first entered the word 'Summoner' but nothing from the results that returned was relevant to her dream. A moment of contemplation later, she added the word 'Alicia' but it yielded no hits.

A dozen more tries with different combination of words later, Mikan gave up completely. She eventually came to a conclusion that Alicia doesn't exist, neither do the elements associated with it. The goddess called Mother Alice didn't exist while there's no such thing as Dragonheart—besides a 1996 film.

She allowed a heavy sigh to escape her lips. "It's official," Mikan muttered to herself as she leaned back into her chair, "I'm going crazy."

There were so many reasons to deny Alicia as reality—reasons like 'it's a dream', she thought to herself—but Mikan just couldn't shake off the fact that her dreams of Alicia felt real. Never had she been in a dream that felt more like reality, despite the fantastical elements, nor have her dreams ever recurred, nor has she ever remembered her dreams so clearly.

"If Alicia is a figment of my imagination, then I'm definitely Tolkien reincarnated." As Mikan contemplated penning down her dreams so that they could be published as a fantasy novel, her doors creaked open and Mrs Yukihira's head appeared.

"Everything all right, sweetie?"

Mikan gave her mom a reassuring smile and a nod. "Yes."

"How was school?" Her eyes were darting all over the place and Mikan could instantly tell that there was something on her mother's mind. So she got up from her chair then pulled Yuka by her hands to the bed.

"What is it, Mom?"

Yuka reached put a hand to pat Mikan gently on her cheeks. "I've been thinking about this morning and my motherly instincts are telling me that something is wrong." Mikan didn't respond. "What is it? Is it about daddy?"

"It was nothing. I think it was a bad dream, I can't remember." Mikan lied. Yuka continued to look at her daughter before finally pulling Mikan into an embrace.

"I miss your daddy." She felt Yuka patting her back comforting manner. "We'll give him a call tonight, okay?"

It wasn't as if they weren't doing that every night already, but Mikan still felt her heart lifting a little upon hearing her mother's words. "Okay."

"Now," Yuka pulled away from the embrace and grinned at Mikan, "what say we go down and prepare dinner?"

Mikan furrowed her eyebrows then took a peek at the time. "But it's only four."

She felt her arms being tugged at as Yuka got up from the bed. "I know that, but good lamb stew takes time to cook, I could use some help with the salad and I can't _believe _you haven't showered. So go do that and I'll wait for you downstairs."

Mikan was gobsmacked. "Lamb stew?" Sure it was her favourite, but it was also her father's favourite as well. "But daddy—"

Yuka placed a finger to her lips and winked playfully. "Your father doesn't need to know, so keep it a secret between us girls, okay?" Yuka laughed and it was infectious so Mikan soon found herself joining in.

Mikan gathered her towel and some clothes before heading off to the bathroom, thoughts of Alicia were replaced with her craving for her mother's lamb stew.

* * *

As expected on the fourth day of their journey to Kensington, Mikan could begin to make out the faint outlines of the city. During their ride back, she had seen numerous cities and towns but none of them were as grand as the skyline of Kensington city. It was sunset when it first came into her sights but just the sheer silhouette of the towers and spires that reached the skies was enough to leave her in a state of awe.

The carriage slowed to a stop and Mikan jumped out from the confined spaced. She stretched her arms as well as her back that were aching from a day of being cooped up with Lord Herald Koko in the coach. He watched her with a smile gracing his lips.

"There is still a day's ride before we reach Kensington. And it'll be another half-day before we reach the castle." He announced. "But we're almost there, my lady."

Mikan found a large rock to sit on and massaged her legs, relishing in the fact that it was not long before she could finally change out from the clothes she had been wearing for the last few days. Faintly she could smell an odour coming from her own gown. She crinkled her nose.

"Once we're in Kensington," she began, "can I bathe?"

Lord Herald laughed. "Of course, my lady. I'll have someone prepare a nice warm bath for you."

Night gradually came and the two sat surrounding a fire—courtesy of the Lord Herald. Like all nights, he had a lute in his hands and he played while he sang, his voice accompanied with a dreamlike melody from the lute. Mikan was always mesmerised by the songs he sang in his operatic baritone and she watched him in a daze, a hand under her chin.

She had learned a lot in the past few days, of Alicia, of her duties as a Summoner and how everything worked. The Lord Herald was indeed a very good teacher and Mikan was much less confused than when she first arrived in this strange land.

When the third song finished, Lord Herald Koko put his lute away and all was silent around them except for the sounds of insects and the occasional whinny from the horses. When Lord Herald Koko broke the silence between them, his voice was not the cheery tone Mikan was used to; it was grave, solemn even.

"My lady," he said, "in the past few days I've come to know you, I have found you to be sweet and innocent, there will be no doubt that you will be endeared by most. But your innocence will also be your weakness in court; it will not benefit you as the Mistress of Summoners. Believe me when I say that there will be parties who would use this to their advantage and might even harm you. You must grow up once you're in Kensington, it is the only way you'll survive.

"Politics is an extremely ugly beast, my lady. It is a game where the risks are high, you cannot afford to have a misstep or you'll pay dearly. I do not doubt that there will be certain people who would like nothing more than to see you fall."

His words sent a chill down her spine and she wondered what made him speak like that out of the blue. "Why?" Mikan asked softly.

The Lord Herald grimaced. "Because you would want to win when you're playing a game, no? And in order for you to win, someone must lose. But," Lord Herald Koko was focusing on a patch of grass by his feet. He hovered his hands a few inches above it and when he moved away, one single white flower stood erect from the ground. Lord Herald Koko plucked it then handed it over to Mikan. "I promise you I am not one of those who wish to see harm inflicted upon you. I will protect you."

Mikan accepted the flower with hands that trembled slightly. "And how can I trust you?"

Lord Herald Koko smiled softly. "Because I speak the truth."

Frankly, Mikan would never think that the Lord Herald would do her any harm. He was the one who helped her, he was the one who painstakingly explained everything to her till his mouth went dry and her ears grew heavy. Natsume might sometimes joke that she wasn't the brightest bulb in the group, but she just knew that the Lord Herald meant every word he said.

Speaking of Natsume, Mikan felt a sudden longing for the raven-haired lad. She had been in Alicia for one full day now, though she knew that in real life, it might have been only two hours since she remembered that it was an afternoon nap that brought her here. She didn't quite know how the times of Alicia and real life corresponded with each other, only assuming that life on one side would run its course until she fell asleep to wake up on the other side.

Her heart ached from longing and Mikan welcomed the sleep that came to her as she leaned back into the carriage seat, mentally reminding herself that she needed to call Natsume once she was awake in Tokyo.

* * *

Mikan woke up early on a Saturday morning. Her Alician self had safely arrived at Kensington castle and she had yet to fully absorb the sights she had seen. As they neared the royal city, she was aware of the increasing display of wealth as they passed. First it was houses that looked like wooden huts, then it grew to become simple brick houses till when they were in the heart of Kensington, Mikan marvelled at the elaborate but elegant architecture of buildings and she watched as men in clothes grander than the Lord Herald's and ladies in gowns fancier than Mikan's strutted down the streets.

"That's the beauty of Kensington," the Lord Herald had commented, "while the rest of Alicia is suffering from the effects of the absence of a King, Kensington still stands, prouder than ever."

As Mikan showered, she remembered that hot bath Lord Herald Koko had promised her. Once she had arrived at the apartment that was specifically for the Master—or in this case, Mistress—of Summoners, she was treated to the most heavenly bath ever. Standing in her bathroom in Tokyo, Mikan moped silently, missing the lovely scented oils and flower petals that were used as Lady Summoner Mikan bathed.

But her spirits soon returned along with a level of anxiety when she remembered the events that were to come. Today was the annual Alice High Concert and as vice-chairperson of the event committee, there were hundreds of things that needed Mikan's attention. She cast a glance at the time only to find that she was at least twenty minutes late.

As if to reprimand her for being tardy, her ringtone cut through the silence and Mikan jumped. She took a look at the caller and squeaked. Meekly, she answered.

"Where are you?" Hotaru Imai asked sharply.

"I'm on the way," Mikan quickly lied. She briefly acknowledged the fact that she was lying more than usual these days.

But then again, Mikan was always a horrible liar and Hotaru Imai was exceptionally good at seeing through her every lie, with the two being best friends since the days where they could barely form proper words. Hotaru sighed. "You're still at home aren't you?"

"..Yes."

"Mikan Yukihira, listen closely to me, I want you to get your ass here this instant or I'll personally drag you by the collar."

"Yes, ma'am. I'll be there ASAP, ma'am." With that, Hotaru hung up on her. Mikan stuffed her phone into her pockets and began to hurriedly gather all her things. Papers and files for the day were unceremoniously dumped into her bag. She quickly grabbed her dress for the night that was hanging in her wardrobe. When everything was ready, Mikan ran down the stairs, all the while screaming, "Mom! I need you to send me to school!"

Ten minutes later, Mikan was hurrying into the school hall where other members of the committee were beginning to set up the place. Hotaru was standing in the middle of the room, overseeing everything. She turned around mechanically when she heard the footsteps that belonged to no other than Mikan.

"Bags over there, clothes backstage, then get yourself busy. You are already thirty minutes late. Get moving."

Mikan rolled her eyes and shouldered her bag that was threatening to fall off. "Good morning to you too, Hotaru."

After everything was set down, Mikan tied her hair into a loose ponytail then begin with her work. There were plenty of things to do: students needed briefing, sound systems had to be inspected and the programme schedule had to be recheck for at least four times.

"Emcee!" Someone screeched. Mikan whipped her head to the source of the scream, confusion overtaking her senses for a moment before realising that she was being summoned.

Right, she also had a ceremony to host.

When the clock struck five, people began filling the seats and Mikan felt herself getting more nervous by the second as she stood backstage. Worst-case scenarios like messing up her lines, collapsing on stage or lights crashing onto the audience played out in her mind and without realising it, her knuckles turned white from gripping too tightly on her own wrist.

Natsume strolled over casually, sipping a can of soda. He noticed his girlfriend's actions and patted her head lightly. "You'll be fine," he said, "you just have to keep talking, and if you're good at anything at all, it's that."

Mikan looked over at him, too anxious to even realise the fact that she was being teased but what caught her attention was the tie that hung loosely around his neck. She tut-tutted then released her arm and wrapped her fingers around his tie before tugging it up his neck. Natsume almost choked on his drink when Mikan pulled a little too tight.

"Sorry," she apologised. Natsume held up a hand to indicate that he was alright and continue with his drink, hands in his pocket. Mikan studied him through narrowed eyes. "Aren't you the least bit nervous?" He was supposed to perform. Solo.

Natsume merely shrugged. "There isn't a reason for me to be nervous."

She shot him a sideways glare. "Cocky bastard."

The boy laughed before pulling her into his arms. They stayed that way for a minute or so and Mikan felt her shoulders relaxing as she felt the comfortable warmth of Natsume's embrace enveloped her.

"You'll do great, trust me." Natsume leaned in to peck Mikan on the lips and she tasted the sweetness of his drink. When he pulled away, Natsume caressed her cheek with a thumb. "Break a leg, Yukihira."

Mikan nodded. "You too, Hyuuga."

**…**

Mikan was in a ridiculously pleasant mood when the concert was finally over. She did not mess up her lines or made a fool out of herself on stage and the audience was safe from any crashing lights from above. Everything proceeded smoothly but the best part of the night was definitely the solo performance right before the closing act. In fact, the audience enjoyed it so much that when the final note hung in the air, the crowd broke into a thunderous applause, some even gave the performer a standing ovation.

Mikan watched with overwhelming pride in her heart as Natsume moved away from the piano to the front of the stage to bow. She was tempted to jump up and scream, "That's my boyfriend!" but her better judgement held her back, although not without difficulty.

So as the two couple walked home together after cleaning everything up, hand-in-hand, Mikan was chattier than usual and she walked with a spring in her step. Natsume watched all this with a slight amusement and a smirk on his face.

"So what's next?" He knew that Mikan always had a knack of sticking her head into every single school events, so he was doubtless that she had another big project coming up after the annual concert.

"Hmm..." Mikan thought for a moment, "the school carnival. It's coming in two months and there's_ so _much stuff to do."

Natsume placed an arm around her shoulders then pulled her closer to him. He kissed the top of her head. "You'll pull through. You always do."

Mikan felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for Natsume's simple words. She was thankful for his trust in her. Once they arrived at her place, Mikan stood on her tiptoes to kiss him on the lips.

"Thank you, Natsume," she murmured softly, "I love you."

"I love you too, Polka."

Mikan smacked him across the shoulder, though fondly. "Good night."

Natsume nodded then waved. Mikan walked up to the door and unlocked it with her keys. Just before she closed it behind her, she turned around to take one longing look at Natsume standing at her gates, his trademark smirk plastered across his face. She could still remember a time when she hated it to no end, but now, it was the one thing that she loved the most about him.

* * *

Lady Summoner Mikan Yukihira looked at herself in the mirror and let out a shaky breath. Today was the day where she would finally meet the Council of Eight. Today was the day where the whole realm would know of her existence,

The last remaining Summoner of Alicia.

Mikan was wearing a dress that was similar to what she wore during her trip back to Kensington, but the gown was a soft shade of grey and there was little to no embellishment on it. She patted the edge of her sleeves that reached her elbows, the edges trimmed with lace.

Over the dress, Mikan wore a white velvet robe that felt heavy around her shoulders. It was fastened with a brooch that was in the shape of an eight-petalled flower, just like the one on the back of her hand. A large emblem of a star with eight corners was sewn onto the face of the robe, and according to one of Lord Herald Koko's lessons, it was the King's emblem. Both the robe and the brooch were handed to her by the Lord Herald shortly before she retired for bed the previous night.

"Here is your robe and the Master of Summoners' brooch," Mikan accepted the items with a murmur of thanks. She was tired and was already missing Natsume dearly; suffice to say she didn't appreciate someone preventing her from going to bed.

"You are to wear the brooch at all times, the robe during formal events as well as in assemblies of the Council." He paused and his tone went soft. "They were passed down to generations of Masters of Summoners, your father wore them once."

She closed her eyes painfully. _My father's not dead. This is all a dream. My father's back home, safe and sound. This is all not real._

Mikan walked out the apartment building to join Lord Herald Koko by the carriage that was to bring them to the venue where the assembly was to be held. He too wore a similar robe but his brooch was in the shape of a feather. Mikan didn't notice this before—partly because the Lord Herald was always wearing gloves—but when she glanced at his gloveless hand, there was indeed a feather mark on the back of his hand. The Lord Herald followed her line of sight then smiled. "Mark of the Heralds, the feather symbolises knowledge as well as the falcon."

As if on cue, Lord Herald's falcon that perched on his shoulder gave a sharp cry. Mikan jumped at the sound. The Lord Herald smiled, amused and Mikan felt her face burning.

"We should probably leave," she mumbled then got into the carriage, Lord Herald Koko followed suit.

Soon later, the two had arrived at their destination. As they got out from the coach, Mikan could feel her legs shaking underneath her. Lord Herald Koko noticed this immediately and he placed a reassuring palm on her shoulder. "Do not be afraid. I am here."

The simple action gave Mikan quite a surprise and she realised how familiar it was.

It reminded her of Natsume.

The Lord Herald and the Lady Summoner walked into the building side-by-side then stopped before a pair of large wooden doors. Lord Herald Koko turned to her.

"Are you prepared?"

Mikan closed her eyes and then tried to calm herself with her mantra. When they opened once more, she nodded. Then the doors were pushed open.

At first Mikan just stood there, rooted to the spot. Only when she felt a small nudge from behind her did she begin to move. Ignoring the eyes that were on her, she made her way to a grand chair with the mark of Summoners embellished on its back. When she sat down, Mikan raised her eyes meekly to look at the faces that sat surrounding the round table. She realised that there were three empty chairs—one for the Lord Herald, no doubt—as well she was the only female in the room.

The Lord Herald took his seat gracefully and met all the eyes of the members that belonged to all members of the Council of the Eight.

"Gentlemen, I have found the last remaining Summoner." he announced steadily then his eyes fell on Mikan. "Lady Summoner Mikan, would you like to introduce yourself?"

**...**

"You did very well just now, my lady. I am truly impressed."

Mikan forced out a smile. Although the assembly was over, it didn't mean she was any less jittery. His words from the night they sat to watch the skyline of Kensington never stopped echoing in her brain. Was there really someone in the Council who would harm her? Could it be the young and charming Lord Knight Tsubasa? Or perhaps the austere Master of Gold, Lord Treasurer Jinno who was by far the oldest in the Council of Eight? Certainly it can't be Lord Servant Ruka who spoke so softly and kindly.

They arrived back at the apartments but this time, it was only Mikan who got out from the carriage. She looked back at Lord Herald Koko, puzzled "Aren't you coming down as well?"

He shook his head. "I'm afraid not, my lady. I am needed elsewhere so unfortunately, I won't be joining you. However, the Lord Servant has assigned a lady companion to you. She should be waiting in your room. I'll be seeing you in tonight's banquet."

She mentally groaned. It was hard enough for her to meet with what might very be the most powerful group of people in the kingdom, but now they were going to host a banquet to celebrate the return of a Summoner. As much as she wanted to reject that idea, she just couldn't find her voice during the assembly. And as much as she liked parties, she never liked being the centre of everyone's attention.

"They just want to flaunt me around like some sort of prize," she muttered grimly under her breath. However, despite the distance between them and the volume of her voice, the Lord Herald had heard her.

"The Council of Eight does not plan on doing that. Your return symbolises that a new dawn and better days are in store for the kingdom. It is a cause for celebration." He grinned. "I'm off now. See you then."

Mikan watched sullenly as the horses galloped away, pulling the carriage behind them. With a heavy sigh and a heavier heart, she headed to her apartment, wondering how would her lady companion look like as well as what the two words actually meant. A friend? A servant?

When she entered her room, Mikan saw a figure standing in it examining one of the drawings that hung on the wall so that the lady's back was facing Mikan. She narrowed her eyes; there was something familiar about her…

Sensing the presence of someone else, the figure turned her head around calmly to look at Mikan and the latter took a sharp intake of breath when her eyes fell on her companion's face. Her lady companion was stunningly beautiful, with a head of jet-black hair that was cut short that framed her pale face perfectly. The one thing that was different from what Mikan was used to was the colour of her companion's eyes. At first glance they might seem black but when the light hits them at a certain angle, Mikan realised that they were purple instead.

But no matter how different her eye colour was, there was no denying that the person standing before her was the same person who was her true friend and companion for the past seventeen years.

"Hotaru..?"

* * *

**Q & A**

**Q: Is Mikan's family name Yukihira or Sakura or both?**  
**A: It's just Yukihira. Mikan of Tokyo is Mikan Yukihira while Mikan of Alicia is also Mikan Yukihira.**

**Q: I've read this before...  
A: I've already put up a notice at the end of the first chapter to explain why this story might seem familiar to you.**

* * *

**I'm extremely eager to hear your thoughts. :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Fireborn**

* * *

"Hotaru..?"

Mikan was dumbstruck when she laid eyes on the lady that stood in her room. Here she was in Alicia and there stood Hotaru, just a few feet away from her. Without a second thought, Mikan ran over and Hotaru found the Lady Summoner's wrapped around her shoulders tightly. When Mikan pulled away, she was staring into her purple eyes.

"How did you get here? Have been having the same experiences as I did? Oh my god, I can't believe it, I thought I was going mad! But now you're here! Oh my god Hotaru, I'm so happy!" Mikan rambled excitedly. But as she hugged Hotaru, she sensed something was off. So when she pulled away, Mikan was staring back into Hotaru's widened eyes. Something's not right.

She didn't break the eye contact. "I-it's you, isn't it? You're Hotaru, Hotaru Imai, right? Just because you have a different eye-colour doesn't mean you're not the same person right?"

Then Hotaru did something Mikan never thought she would do. Hotaru lifted her skirt slightly and did a perfect curtsey. Mikan could only blink in surprise. "Good day, my lady," she said, "I am your companion, Hotaru Imai. But seeing you already know my name, I assume that the Lord Servant has told you about me. Though admittedly, I never expected you to be this excited."

The Lady Summoner was frozen to her spot and a trembling hand went up to cover her mouth. The woman before her was not the Hotaru Imai she was used to. If this was indeed her best friend, she wouldn't be acting this way. The aloofness was Hotaru, but it was a wrong kind of aloofness. They have been friends since they were babies, for heaven's sake. No matter what, as cold as she was, Hotaru Imai always reserved a special warmth for Mikan.

Hotaru Imai would never have looked at Mikan with such a chilling gaze.

"You're not the Hotaru I know," she murmured. The Hotaru Imai before her looked at her strangely and very much confused.

Time seem to have stopped for Mikan before she finally came to a conclusion.

This was Hotaru Imai. But it wasn't_ her_ Hotaru Imai. This Hotaru Imai belonged to Alicia. Her Hotaru Imai was not with her.

Her head began to throb at the realisation and Mikan felt her world swaying. Her heart was aching as well. Hotaru noticed her discomfort and grabbed onto the Lady Summoner's arm before guiding her to a chair. Once Mikan was seated, Hotaru moved away, tinkering with some objects then returned with a cup of tea and teapot on a silver tray.

"Have some tea, my lady," she said while setting the cup on the table. But just as she placed it on the table, Mikan held onto her wrist.

Hotaru turned to look at the Lady Summoner with masked annoyance in her eyes. "Yes, my lady?"

"Hotaru," Mikan mumbled, "sit."

"It wouldn't be appropriate for me to do that, Lady Summoner." Hotaru answered coolly.

"It's just you and me, and I'm just telling you to sit, not kill someone for me." Mikan marvelled at the fact that she still had it in her to crack a joke. She smiled. Mikan removed her velvet mantle as well as the pin. "So, sit."

Hotaru hesitated but did at she was told. Her back was stiff straight while her fists held tightly on her lap. Mikan took in all this with a slight amusement. She picked up the teacup and took a sip and then offered it to her companion. "Tea?"

She almost burst out laughing when she saw how appalled Hotaru looked, staring at Mikan with her face blanched. Best friend or companion, Mikan figured the two had the same tendency to vehemently reject the idea of sharing. Saliva and other bodily fluid above all.

"I'm just joking," Mikan said but Hotaru still looked at her warily. "Tell me about yourself Hotaru."

Hotaru regained her composure and sat up straighter than before. Mikan wondered briefly if her companion's back would be aching later. The Hotaru she knew always suffered from a stiff and aching back, though it didn't stop her from walking tall and proud. "I am Hotaru Imai of Ice. My father is an earl of Northshire and I was sent to Kensington when I was a girl to serve the court, like my mother."

The Lady Summoner raised an eyebrow and took another sip from her cup. "Tell me more about your mother."

Hotaru looked away for a quick second. "My mother served Queen Yuka when she a crown princess before marrying my father. She—was lucky."

Hotaru's hesitation at her last statement puzzled Mikan. "Lucky? What do you mean lucky?"

Hotaru bowed her head low. "My greatest apologies for offending my lady."

"No no, Hotaru, it's fine. I'm not offended." Mikan was slightly taken aback with Hotaru's actions. Never in her life would she imagine Hotaru Imai curtseying, apologising on her own—without being threatened to do so—or being this polite. Though frankly, Mikan wasn't quite sure if it was all sincere. And that thought bothered her. "It's just, I want to know what do you mean by lucky."

They fell silent for a moment, Hotaru deliberating whether she should tell Mikan before finally settling on doing so. "Before the war, when the adultery was exposed, the Queen and all her ladies-in-waiting were killed."

No beating round the bush, zero sugar-coating, just a slap across the face with cold hard truth. Mikan closed her eyes in pain. _It's a dream. Everything's a dream. Nothing is true. Do not cry. This is all a dream._ When Mikan opened them once more, she forced herself to smile. "Then your mother was indeed lucky."

Her companion shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Do you have any friends, Hotaru?"

Despite the disconcerting formality, Mikan was able to tell that this Hotaru Imai was not much different from the one she knew. She could tell that just like her best friend, her lady companion was not one who enjoyed socialising.

And of course, lack of socialising meant little to no friends So Mikan already knew the answer when Hotaru replied. "No, my lady."

"Well then", Mikan placed her cup back on the table then leaned forward to grip Hotaru's hands in her. Hotaru looked up, startled. "Because of some reason, I haven't been able to make many friends myself. If you don't mind, do you think we can be friends?"

Hotaru's reply took a while. "If that's what my lady wishes."

Mikan broke out into a grin and she felt a little bit relieved. She couldn't stand having Hotaru just be her attendant. She was her best friend ever since she could remember. She couldn't bear the emotional detachment even from the Alician Hotaru. Though Mikan understood that truly befriending Hotaru wouldn't be easy, but she promised herself that she would not give up. _I did it once, I'm sure I can do it again._

With Hotaru's hand still in hers, Mikan got up, pulling her lady companion with her, startling her in the process. "Where are we going, my lady?"

"For a walk," Mikan replied without looking back. "The past few days have been ridiculously hectic and it's about time I unwind. Come now."

And so poor confused Hotaru was dragged out the room by the Lady Summoner who was too busy chattering. As the door slammed shut behind them, Hotaru was certain that the new Mistress of Summoners is no doubt a bit too crazy for her liking.

**…**

A few stone's throws away from her apartment, sheltered by a wall of towering hedges was a beautiful garden of age-old trees and well-trimmed bushes of flowers. Growing up in Japan, Mikan has had her fair share of exquisite parks and gardens, but none of them were like what laid before her. She felt as if she had stepped into a different world—no pun intended—as she took in the amazing clash of colours from the flowers and the green background to keep everything in harmony.

As Mikan walked slowly, revelling in the beauty of everything, Hotaru followed closely behind. "This place is beautiful."

"This is nothing compared to the royal gardens." Hotaru commented. "But few can enjoy them."

"That's sad," Mikan mused. Suddenly, a cold breeze swept past her and Mikan shivered then wrapped her arms around herself, mentally chastising herself for not brining an overcoat or her travelling cloak before she left her room.

"Perhaps we should return soon. My lady needs to prepare for tonight's banquet, is that correct?" Hotaru suggested. She too had let the room without even a shawl but barely even flinched from the cold, having been born in the Lands of Ice. But she was perceptive if not anything and the slight shiver that ran down the Lady Summoner's body did not escape her eyes.

Mikan shook her head. "I want to stay here for a little longer."

"There's always another time for that, the garden will not run away." Hotaru countered. She was a little annoyed when another breeze came and Mikan shivered once more. "We should leave."

But what Mikan didn't know was that the moment she entered the garden, a pair of ruby eyes high up in the trees never left her. Natsume Hyuuga watched with a smirk on his lips as two ladies strolled unknowingly beneath him. He couldn't peel his eyes away from the girl with the luscious head of brown hair, her hips swaying from left to right as she moved. He had to admit, she was a pretty little thing.

Just when the two ladies walked past the tree he was hiding in, Natsume jumped.

"Is someone a little cold?"

The effects were instantaneous. Mikan's eyes widened, her back stiffened, her actions held in place by shock and her heart began to beat frantically. She couldn't believe her ears when she heard the voice she would recognise anywhere, but she was so shocked to the point that she couldn't find the will in her to move, to turn around and confirm the source of the voice.

She heard shuffling as heavy boots kissed the ground and soon later, a man walked into her view. Mikan lifted her gaze to look at his perfectly chiselled jawline, aristocratic straight nose and the lips that Mikan remembered were always so soft against hers. But just like when she first saw Hotaru, her memory of the man standing in front of her was shattered when her eyes met with his. Mikan felt a wave of goose bumps running up her arm, down her back at them.

His eyes were crimson instead of black; they shined like rubies instead of polished obsidian; though the stark difference was strange, a part of Mikan thought that the change made his face all the more perfect. They were like magnets, drawing her in.

Another shudder ran up her arms when he reached out for her hand. And when their hands met, Mikan felt a jolt. They were familiar, yet electrifyingly different at the same time.

Right before Mikan her boyfriend stood, yet she felt like she was a high-school girl on the very first meeting with her crush.

Or at least, she hoped this was her boyfriend.

As much as Mikan wished it was true, she didn't want to make the same mistake like what happened with Hotaru. So instead of diving straight into a conclusion, she decided to take things one at a time. "Natsume?"

Said man cocked an eyebrow and a corner of his lips curved into his notorious smirk. Mikan could already feel the butterflies in her stomach. When Natsume raised her hand and brushed his lips against it softly, Mikan felt insides dissolving into mush and her body was getting warmer by the second.

Quite literally actually. Her hands felt strangely warm in his and his entire body was radiating heat. To Mikan, it felt like she was sitting by a fire and considering the chilling breeze, she liked it.

"And how did a pretty little thing like you came to know my name?"

The smile on Mikan's face faltered when he heard her words. So this isn't the Natsume she had hoped he was. She reflexively moved her hand from him, leaving Natsume a little surprised.

"I-I'm sorry," said Mikan, "I forgot myself for a moment. Do excuse me." With a curtsey, Mikan turned around, ready to leave. Just because the man looked like Natsume, sounded like Natsume and had the same name as Natsume, it didn't mean that he _was_ Natsume. If she just as much as held his hand, it felt like cheating on Natsume-the-Boyfriend.

Not to mention, her instincts were telling her that the Natsume Hyuuga before her was dangerous. There was just something about him that struck every single warning bell in her head.

But before she could even step away, a hand clasped onto her wrist, preventing her for leaving. She felt herself being whirled around and Natsume Hyuuga was looking at her, hands on her sides, locking her in place, leaving her incapacitated. Mikan tried to wriggle out his grasp but to no avail; Natsume was too strong.

Hotaru stepped forward. "Let her go, you don't even know who you're touching." But Natsume just sneered at her.

"And you don't know who _you're_ talking to. You don't have a right to talk to me." He muttered. Mikan's blood went cold. This wasn't Natsume Hyuuga. It definitely wasn't him.

Mikan heard a very quiet 'swoosh' sound and the next thing she knew, Natsume had let her go, clutching a hand to his face. When he removed it to look at his hand, it was bloodied and there was a large cut right across his cheek. A quick look around told him that the cut was the product of a shard of ice crystal lying on the ground, its edges stained with blood. He whipped his head back to see that Hotaru had another sharp of ice in her hand and she was sending him a death glare.

Natsume grunted. Without another word, a ball of fire lit up in his palms and he flung it towards Hotaru, which the girl swiftly avoided. But another ball of fire was already moving towards her and Mikan yelped. "No!"

This time, the ball missed Hotaru but managed to singe her dress. Hotaru cursed then materialised three ice daggers and threw them towards Natsume. Unfortunately, before it could even hit him, a wall of fire was formed in the air before disappearing, melting Hotaru's daggers in the process.

"Damn Fireborn!" Hotaru knew that Icemen were weak against Fireborns and she wouldn't be able to hold up for any longer. She quickly ran towards the Lady Summoner and pulled her by the wrist. "Let's go."

Mikan nodded, too frightened to speak. There stood a man with the face of her beloved yet never had Mikan seen such a dark look crossed it. One look was enough to scare her senseless. But as they began to run, a fireball was already heading their way.

They two girls closed their eyes, bracing for the burning impact when it died with a 'whoosh'. They opened their eyes to see a man with greying hair standing in front of Natsume Hyuuga, his lips pulled into one taut, grim line.

Staring at the man before her, her jaw fell. Despite the beard that covered his face, she could recognise the man as Natsume's father. But just like Natsume, his eyes too were red, though a few shades darker and held much more wisdom, as compared to his son.

Mikan watched as the man gave Natsume a cold hard glare before raising an arm to slap him across the face. Both girls stared at the scene in shock while Natsume stood there, still as a statue.

Natsume's father then walked over to them and bowed. "My ladies, I am very sorry and I apologise. Do forgive my son's actions. I hope he has not caused you too much harm. We will take our leave now. Once again, I am truly sorry." With that, he left the two alone as he yanked his son away by the arm.

The fight was over and everything was at peace once more but Mikan could still feel herself shaking violently. Hotaru supported her from falling by holding tightly onto her.

"You shouldn't have left your brooch in the apartment," she chastised softly, "but come now; we have to get you ready for tonight." As gently as possible, Hotaru guided a petrified Lady Summoner back to her apartment.

**…**

When both father and son were safe in their lodgings, Lord Haru Hyuuga whirled around to face his son and delivered a mighty slap across his son's face. Natsume wasn't surprised by the treatment—his father was certainly severe if anything—yet the blow was enough to send him crashing into the floor. Before he could even register what was happening, Natsume felt himself being picked up by the collar and pushed to the wall roughly. His father's face was inches from his and he could feel the lord's warm, heavy breath against his skin.

"What," Haru Hyuuga muttered in a dangerous undertone, "did I tell you when we left Ederaeya Castle? _What_ were you told? _Hmm_?"

When Natsume didn't reply—out of reluctance and also disorientation from his father's assault—Haru shook him and Natsume's head jerked forward before hitting the wall again. "_Answer me!_" The duke roared. "Did I not tell you to stay out of trouble? Was that not the reason why I brought you here to Kensington, away from home so you will stop making a _fool_ out of yourself? Why is it that you can't remember your own identity?

"You're not stupid, that much I know; yet why are you hell-bent on embarrassing me, yourself and your family's name? Does it give you much joy to know that Natsume Hyuuga, son of Lord Haru Hyuuga, _Duke of Ederaeya_, is nothing but a pathetic, spoiled brat who loves nothing than to chase the skirts of airheaded hussies and wreak havoc?"

And then the duke dealt another blow across his son's face and Natsume found his nose pressed to the rug once more. He staggered to get up and when he felt for his lips, it was warm and wet; his nose felt broken as well. But he couldn't get up for Haru was already pressing a knee onto his stomach and holding him by his collar once more. "You're seventeen this year, Natsume. You're an adult now. You're more intelligent than most men your age, yet why do you associate yourselves with such foolish actions? Why do you act like you're seven? What is your motive?"

Mustering all his wits and courage, Natsume stared back into his father's crimson eyes. How he hated the colour of them. "Home," he croaked, "I want to return to Ederaeya."

The next thing he knew, his cheek was getting slapped again, twice. "_Well I forbid you from returning, you insolent hellion_. You will stay here, in Kensington until you know how to behave yourself. If not, you may very well _rot_ here."

With that, the duke got up from his son and turned around with a huff. "You will find that lady you've harassed and you will go on your knees and _beg_ for forgiveness until you are forgiven. Until then, don't even think about taking a step out of this room. You," he pointed at one of his guards who stood by the door, "guard this fool. Do not let him leave the room and keep him out of trouble."

When Natsume heard the footsteps of his father had disappeared, he closed his eyes and sighed. And here he was, anticipating all the lovely ladies he would find during the banquet tonight. No doubt that at least one of them would be more than happy to accompany him for the night and distract him from his longing to return home, where the ladies were more complacent, where the sity was his playground, where his home was and also where his sister was currently at. But all hopes were dashed now as he eyed the guard who stood stiffly by the door. Natsume groaned.

_Fucking brilliant._

**…**

_Natsume tried to kill me._

_That wasn't Natsume. That was a reckless monster._

_But he had the same name and the same face._

_But it doesn't mean that it was him. Wake up, Mikan. That wasn't him._

Mikan's thoughts were in a chaos. She couldn't quite focus on what was happening around her, only moving without thinking when she felt Hotaru's gentle nudges here and there to guide her. Her mind kept going back to the incident that happened in the garden earlier than day. Though she had stopped shaking, Mikan was still rattled from the incident.

"My lady?"

Mikan responded with a jolt when she felt someone patting her shoulder. She turned her head around and locked her gaze with a pair of eyes that were the colour of cinnamon right below black bangs.

Mikan blinked, clueless on how to respond before finally replying with a curt nod. She had seen the just a while ago. "Lord Justice Misaki."

"Lady Summoner, are you all right?" He queried, but there was a hint of coldness in his tone. "You seem troubled."

Mikan looked away, not wanting to meet his gaze. She was tempted to tell him of what happened during her walk but a part of her was hesitant. She couldn't bring herself to give Natsume up, even if the person she met earlier wasn't the same Natsume she knew. From behind, she could practically feel Hotaru's penetrating gaze on her back of her head.

"If there's anything wrong, my lady, you may approach me." He bent his body forwards slightly, "I'm here to help."

Mikan inclined her head. "I am certainly grateful, Lord Justice."

So the Lord Justice stood there, waiting for Mikan to tell him her problems yet she kept her lips stubbornly shut. After a moment of awkward silence, Lord Justice Misaki cleared his throat. "Well, I shall take my leave now."

She nodded. "Farewell."

Mikan watched as the Lord Justice walked away from her, his back stiffer than a stick. Shortly after he was gone, another figure was seen hurrying towards her and Mikan raised a curious eyebrow when the Lord Herald came to a stop before her, his face poorly masking his worry.

"Are you well, Lady Summoner?" Concern was written all over his face.

Mikan made an attempt to put on her best smile. "Is there any reason why I shouldn't be?"

"Well, my lady, I heard something…"

"What was it that you've heard, my lord?"

Lord Herald Koko bit the insides of his cheek. He knew that the Lady Summoner was playing dumb but he didn't know why. With a sigh, he went down to one knee and knelt before Mikan who was sitting on her own chair. She stared down at him. In an undertone, the Lord Herald spoke. "My lady, I was told that you had an unpleasant encounter with someone named Natsume Hyuuga, is that correct?"

Mikan froze, not knowing what to answer. It was true, but as before, she didn't have the heart to rat him out. No matter how many times she tried to convince herself that the man she met was not the same boy she loved, it didn't work. Both her heart and mind were unreasonably stubborn.

But Mikan didn't have to reply because Hotaru Imai had enough of the Lady Summoner's indecisiveness. So she stepped forward, curtsied and began to relay every single detail on the encounter with Natsume Hyuuga. Though the Lord Herald knew that it was wrong for her to speak without Mikan's permission, her misconduct was overlooked by the information she told him.

When she was done speaking, Mikan was staring wide-eyed at her and the Lord Herald suck in a deep breath.

"I must report this to the Lord Justice, my lady. I cannot allow his crime to go unpunished."

"No, please don't," Mikan was tugging at the Lord Herald's sleeves and the latter looked at her, surprised.

"Why ever not, my lady? Natsume Hyuuga has caused enough trouble in his five-month stay in Kensington, yet because of his father, no actions have been taken against him. But he certainly can't be pardoned for what he did to you, the Mistress of Summoners."

"But I'm all right! Please, there's no need to tell."

"I'm sorry, my lady. It must be done." Lord Herald Koko gently pushed her grip away. His mind was made up and no amount of persuasion could change it.

When the Lord Herald left, Mikan cast an angry glare at her lady who stood beside her only to find that her gaze was lowered to the ground.

"You shouldn't have." She whispered darkly.

Hotaru lifted her gaze ever so slightly. "But I must."

**…**

Among the crowd that occupied the grand dining room was the Duke of Ederaeya, Lord Haru Hyuuga, chatting merrily with his acquaintances. While his face remained cheerful, it carefully hid the fact that he was still fuming over his son's foolishness. He knew that his son was no saint, fights and skirmishes followed him like a shadow—partly because of the fact that he enjoyed nothing more that charming women into his bed, thus engaging the wrath of their fathers, suitors, husbands and such—but never would Haru Hyuuga imagine his son getting into a _fight_ with a noblewoman and her lady, on royal grounds no less.

Lord Hyuuga was slightly relieved when no one approached him with concerns about his son's actions. He prayed that it no one besides him and the parties who were directly involved with the incident had any knowledge. He couldn't imagine the shame that would be brought upon him if it was exposed.

The chatter in the room immediately died down when the Master of Heralds stood up from his seat at the high table and his falcon cawed. When all eyes were on him, he cleared his voice and began to speak. "My good lords and ladies, it has certainly been a while since a banquet of such grand scale was held in this very hall and first off, I'd like to thank you all, on the behalf of the Council of Eight, for being here today"

Lord Haru Hyuuga clapped his hand along with everyone else. When the applause died down, the Lord Herald continued. "As we all know, the great Kingdom of Alicia had been robbed of a wise king to lead his people, the throne has been empty ever since the passing of King Shiki, may his soul rest in peace. For the past two years, Alicia and its people have suffered greatly for we have no king to rule and the war has brought about the extinction of the Summoners. We had no one worthy enough to elect a new king for Alicia.

"But it pains Her Divine Mother Alice to see her children suffer, she weeps for the chaos and disorder that were brought about by the absence of a ruler, so she had blessed us greatly for we have found the last remaining Summoner. Alicia will finally reconcile with the peace we have lost."

The Lord Herald Koko scanned the crowd, his eyes landing on every face that was present before finally ending his speech with the kingdom's motto. "May Peace Prevail."

Only a number of people echoed the adage for everyone else—Lord Hyuuga included— was too shock from hearing the Lord Herald's announcement and when the information finally seeped in, the entire hall broke into a flurry of discussion; heads bent, whispers exchanged and allegations began to spread.

The commotion was abruptly silenced when the herald standing by the great doors bellowed, "Announcing the Mistress of Summoners, Lady Summoner Mikan Yukihira."

Nearly everyone in the room had their breaths held as the doors were pushed open to reveal a girl with a head of auburn hair tumbling down her shoulder all the way to her waist, her dress was made of lovely pick damask and was fitted in a way that accentuated her petite size as well as her slender waist. No one could miss the eight-petalled flower brooch that was pinned in front of her chest. The Lady Summoner took her time to scan the hall's interior before finally taking her first step in. The hall was deadly silent.

When Lord Hyuuga laid eyes on the Lady Summoner, his blood went cold and he couldn't move his eyes away from the Lady Summoner. His shoulders stiffened and fear made its way into his heart when he realised the identity of the girl who his son had previously assaulted.

"Heaven's no."

**…**

Natsume was asleep on his bed when the guards came barging into the room. He was surprised at first as he felt his body being roughly pulled out from bed and pushed onto his knees. All sleep left him when he looked up to find himself staring right at the impassive face of a head guard.

Natsume Hyuuga knew that he was in trouble and as he was dragged away by the arms, he wondered briefly if this had anything to do with the pretty auburn-haired lady from before.

**…**

Mikan stood in front of the steel bars, looking into the small room where a figure was sitting on the floor, his back against the wall. His eyes were closed and to Mikan it seemed like he was asleep. A flash of memory crossed her mind, where Natsume was sitting in that exact same position underneath the cherry blossom tree where they usually spent recess. She couldn't help as a smile tugged at her lips.

But when the man snapped his eyes open to reveal two brilliant red eyes that shone even in the dark, Mikan was painfully dragged back to reality. Clearing her throat, Mikan tilted her chin higher. With the help of the faint light from the torch, she could vaguely make out a smirk on Natsume's lips.

"Look who we have here."

His voice sent a chill down her spine. It was so deliciously familiar yet Mikan had to remind herself that this was not Natsume Hyuuga her boyfriend. She figured that she had already repeated that sentence in her head for at least millions of times but the fact just won't sit firmly in her mind.

_What am I doing?_ She asked herself. She should be in her apartment, lying in bed, sleeping so that she could return to reality, back to the world where a kinder, loving Natsume Hyuuga exists.

But no, sleep eluded her and the thought that Natsume was all alone in a dungeon troubled her. So against better judgements and ignoring Hotaru's warnings, Mikan simply threw on her travelling cloak and left her room.

And so there she was, in the dungeons, standing in front of Natsume Hyuuga.

Mikan bent her knees into a crouch as she studied the man before her. Was he really not the Natsume she knew? She still couldn't quite bring herself to believe it.

So in a shaky voice, she spoke, "Do you—really don't know me?"

For a while they were silent, Natsume didn't reply as Mikan waited. Then he sat up and looked at her straight in the eyes. "What makes you think I should know you, Lady Summoner?"

Her breath hitched when his devilish smirk broadened. "I don't like associating myself with bastards, my lady. You know what you are, don't you?"

His words were like knives, cutting into her heart with every syllable uttered. Mikan's lower jaw began to tremble as she gazed into the unforgiving eyes of Natsume Hyuuga, filled with so much scorn and hatred. But as much as she wanted to, she couldn't cry. She would not cry in front of this hateful man who, despite having the same face as her dearly beloved, has done nothing but hurt her.

Finally, the idea planted itself firmly into the deepest corners of her brain.

"You're not Natsume Hyuuga." She muttered, more to herself than to him. Mikan got up and turned away before walking away, fingers clenched into fists. Natsume listened intently to the click of her shoes before it disappeared after a loud slam of the metal doors.

* * *

For the first time in a very long time, Mikan's woke up with tears in her eyes.

* * *

**So what did you think? Like it? Hate it? Do leave a review. (:**

**P.S Do check out my profile for an announcement. **


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